Promoting gender equality and empowering women.

Target 3.A:

Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015.

The main ingredient

Girls have the power to change the world; the girl effect is powerful and able to reduce world poverty. So men and women have to go into the kitchen together. Only in this way will we achieve gender equality and empower women.

In which stage are we in?

Social, economical, political, and cultural pressure often pushes women and girls into the most vulnerable positions in society. Discrimination against women and girls is a hard reality. Gender–based violence, reproductive health inequities, harmful traditional practices, and economic discrimination are some of the dimensions of this problem.

What is the recipe for the promotion of gender equality? Education. The efforts made to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education will have a direct impact in the empowerment of women.

The importance of gender promotion for the eradication of poverty and sustainable development is undeniable. First, gender equality is a human right. Women have the right to live with dignity and with the conditions to achieve social and economical security. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of their families and communities.

There are some improvements. As we can read in the MDG Report 2011, Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals, “African countries have shown good overall progress in gender equality and the empowerment of women in recent years. The ratio of girls to boys in primary education is approaching parity in almost every country, and the proportion of women in African national parliaments continued its upward trend in 2010”

What to tell Young Modern Performers about this MDG?

Nearly 50% of YMPs are women. This goal comprises great chances to also reach these young and successful women with special actions related to the MDG 3. You can find examples of this in our recipes… for instance in the recipe on MDG shopping bags.